Tamil Nadu police warn against UPI scam involving PhonePe
What's the story
The Cyber Crime Wing of Tamil Nadu Police has issued a public warning regarding a scam targeting Unified Payments Interface (UPI) users.
The scam involves unauthorized bank transactions through UPI apps, especially PhonePe.
Victims have reported deductions from their bank accounts without their knowledge or consent via PhonePe.
The deducted amounts were exclusively transferred to Amazon Pay in all reported cases, the police advisory said.
Complaints surge
Scam complaints and police investigation
Sandeep Mittal, Additional Director General of Police (Cyber Crime), said seven complaints were registered this month in Tamil Nadu through the National Cyber Crime Reporting portal.
Investigating these unauthorized money debits through PhonePe has led to the discovery of a malicious app called 'PM Kisan Yojna.'
It is being distributed through various channels, including WhatsApp, and works by taking control of the user's SMS and device permissions.
Scam tactics
Malicious app's modus operandi and data collection
The 'PM Kisan Yojna' app intercepts SMS traffic and manipulates UPI applications with the intercepted data to register devices on UPI platforms for unauthorized transactions.
The app also collects sensitive personal information such as name, Aadhaar number, PAN details, and date of birth through a web form.
This sophisticated method of attack has led to financial and emotional distress to several individuals, with scammers exploiting the trust associated with government benefit schemes.
Safety measures
Public advised to monitor bank account activity
Mittal has urged the public to keep a close watch on their bank account activity and report any unauthorized transactions immediately.
He also warned against clicking on unknown links or responding to unsolicited messages or emails.
The advice comes as part of the police's efforts to combat the ongoing UPI scam and protect citizens from falling victim to such fraudulent activities.